All the Arby's around here closed up. The last time I ate in an Arby's was three or four years ago. I was on US Highway so-and-so in Pennsylvania or Maryland. All the usual FF joints had quite a few cars parked in their parking lots. Arby's was almost empty. I was curious as to what Arby's was like lately. They were touting "Market Sandwiches" or something. But, I decided to go with their classic Roast Beef sandwich. I paid quite a bit of money for what I got. It reminded me of the Sliced Beef variety of Fancy Feast cat food. I guess its tasty enough if you don't separate the bun and look at the meat.

For some reason, that visit reminded me of the schlock cold cuts then being especially made for dollar stores at the time. Definitely prison food. I just lost my appetite for Arby's. I have not been back since.

Just to be clear, the first Arby's was in Boardman, a suburb of Youngstown. We're not noted for much else: Bernie Kosar, Dave Dravecky, and Arby's.

The first Arby's restaurant opened in Boardman, Ohio, on July 23, 1964, serving only roast beef sandwiches, potato chips, and a beverage, and was the only Arby's¨ restaurant for a year as the brothers refined the operation. One year later, the first Arby's licensee opened a restaurant in Akron, Ohio. Today, more than 500 licensees operate more than 3,200 restaurants worldwide.

I know it's not a popular opinion and I'm probably biased, but given a choice between Jack in the Box, Wendy's, McDonald's, or BK, I'll still pick Arby's every time.

We LOVED Arby's roast beef sandwiches when I was a kid in Indianapolis in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Sometimes as a treat my father and I would drive down to one of the Arby's (I think it was on Keystone Avenue, near Fall Creek, and I remember it had a great neon sign, not like the soulless plastic ones they have now) and get a big bag of Arby's sandwiches for Saturday lunch, bringing them back to the house for the whole family to enjoy.

It was indeed at Keystone and Fall Creek, and they still had that wonderful sign up until they closed the place a year or so ago. I was quite sad when it came down, although I haven't eaten there in years for all the aforementioned reasons.

For me and my Rock 'n' Roll Star friend in days of yore, a stop at Arby's just outside the Holland Tunnel in NJ was a must for loading up on sustenance before a full night of hanging in Greenwich Village.

I do too, and also admit that one of my secret little guilty pleasures is the Rb sandwiches.I know, I know-go ahead... I just happen to like that artificially beef flavored particle board sometimes....

We do have a place in MN named Maverick's that does a great roast beef medium-rare to medium for a good price, quite a selection of toppings, onion, pepper, giardinera, mustard, couple bbq sauces. I think it was sliced to order, not positive about that. I just don't think it works in the fast-food model, like someone said they had lines around the building at times.

I managed the first ever Arby's franchise. Opened it up. Located in Maple Heights OH. This was 1966 or so.

Wow.... It's a small world but I wouldn't want to have to paint it. My family were enthusiastic customers of yours back then. My younger sister and I would stare with interest at the hanging beef roast and beg our parents for the chance to sit in the sumptious seating area..... okay, sit on those fiberglass desk-chairs Arby's used for interior seating.....

As I recall, Arby skipped the mess of french fries and simply offered potato chips. The bags were displayed on clip towers flanking the serice counter.

For the record, Mom turned against Arby's when they dumped the fine egg buns in favor of more generic hamburger buns.

Cleveland suburbia in the mid-60s was an interesting place and time to consider in terms of fast food franchises. When I moved into Euclid in '62, the only thing I'd recognize now was the Kenny King's (on Euclid Ave in front of the GM Fisher Body Plant) which offer4ed "Kentucky Fried Chicken." In '63 we discovered the MacDonalds down by Euclid Beach Amusement Park. Over the course of the next 4 years, we got to experience new up-and-comers like Burger Chef, Red Barn, and Taco Bell and alsorans like Happy Charlies (a hamburger/chicken chain with Buddha for a logo!).